The Asheville citizen. [volume] (Asheville, N.C.) 1885-1889, 1887-04-10

Ubich they bGue GllcGgis ysgo raed 1citi
suspicion, not to conteDsps n
That is, accordingsO Brother Long,
the good Methodisfs of the North,
regard their brethren Of the South,
with suspicion and contenspt This, il
seems, is Bro. Longs idea ef Chlis.
tianity in general, and Methodism
in the North, in particular. It is HIs
idea, it seems, of both. ggne whole
charge of the Rev. Mr.. Lang. when
properly formulated is this: That
have been mean enough TO attempt and
''sharp' enough to succeed. through
q series uf sinsincerity, deception. y
and p;t6tte, eco iesidstical Iyisig. to de-
coy members of the AI thcdist Epis-
cepaI church. from the No. b, ssI1aEA-
wAREs,'' into the NJ. e. Church,
South. Now, I beg the candid, un-
prejudiced public to keep this in
mind. This is the issue. He says
"a mean and centemtibIe policy is
being deftly pursued" This is not
very charitable language from a gos-
pei minister, about his brethren, es-
peclally as he had received no provo
cation, and professed to be friend!!
!" Il mean and cossteDaptible policy "
And then, he goes on to show who
is at the head of this "mean and con-
temptible policy" That it is the
pastor Of the M. E. Church, South,
in Asheville, N. c. He boldly states
this as fact, and now he is here
by required to lor0Ue it as a fact
How complimentary Bro. Long
is, to the INTELLIGENCE of
these good people of the North,
whom he says ''6econac members,
"UNAWAREs" Of Il church fbSy hare
GIaoays regarded a0ith Suspicion, nat to
sag contempt"
He sets rue down as a kndue, and
makes each one of them up as a
fool. "Mena6ers GI,adtoares !!E'
Now, ali this comes from a sup
posed scholar; man who by his
very birth, and blood, and family,
and education, and converse, and
Christian association, ought to be too
big, and broad, and thick, and
"Long," to deal in any thing so mar
row. and little, and envious, and
jealous, and unbro herly, and silly,
and absurd, and absolutely untrue.
He associates me with what is net
only slarderous and false, but posi-
lively prepOsterous, impossible aud B.
stlrd. Yet. 7 viii Try not to be bitter
and spitefuI. He sGeclares that a
something has been attempted and
done, which could NOT PossIBLY be
accomplished in any intelligent COM
on the earth-that of dupirg,
and deceiving and taking ''sGs Gs1s0Gres"
the members of one church into the
fold of another. His silly assertion
is actually an offence and an insult
to the reason and common.sense of
mankind. He completely stultifies
himself.
1 do not believe that in the entire
Methodist connection, he
can find ONE intelligent Methodist
from the North, who has become a
member of the M. e. Church, South,
''aInG.0ores." I doubt if he could find
a parallel case, even among the most
unIettered colored churches.
1 believe his preposterous,
attempt is made from certain
cause, and manufactured for a certain
purpose; for ''capitaIl," I believe. I
believe the cause is solely malice,
petty spite and jealousy, and the
purpose is to play upon the supposed
credulity of the less Informed peo-
pie of his district. To me it ap-
pears, as the appeal of malice and
spite in one man, to the supposed
credulity, prejudice, ard passion, of
other men. This is my own, candid
opinion; but I am not gDlng 10 die
play the recklessness Of Bro. Long,
by declaring my own opinions and
mere hSar-sGy, as PosITIvE FACTS,
and thus present the double display
of both my malice and my ignor-
ance.
But to return, l believe he hopes
to make capital out Of the 'decep-
tionn of myself and my people in
AsheVille, and especially out OF the
ipnOce1t ue. dancy of those poor PEG
pie from the North who join ''ss,sk-
soares!"!! Poor lambs of the North
ern fold!I Behold Bro. Long weep.
ing over their injuries, as he goes
around on his district, and tells
how the poor, aforesaid Northern
'.lambs'' are taken ''upatodres." !" by
that Southern Methodist ''i0oL" in
Asheville, and ne, poor man, a6so.
l,Itcly unable to prevent at
O, sad, sad thought; "scores, nc
doubt" have thus been taken, s.una.
ware; unawares; and oh, sadder still,
,'tKerc's more to foNo,o'' II Oh, thai
poor Bro. Longs head were waters
and his eyes fountain of tears, thai
he might weep day and night for the
slain ''UNAwAREs," of the daughter
OF his people Z!
Why not let good, sympathetic
Bro. Long play the jeremiah and